Fraser Valley poultry has been banned from Hong Kong following H5 avian influenza outbreaks at two farms in the region.
The city’s Centre for Food Safety announced Wednesday that imports of poultry meat and products, including eggs, from B.C.'s Fraser Valley Regional District have been barred “for the protection of Hong Kong’s public health.”
“The CFS has contacted the Canadian authority over the issue and will closely monitor information issued by the World Organisation for Animal Health,” the agency said in a statement.
“Appropriate action will be taken in response to the development of the situation.”
More than 7,000 tonnes of frozen poultry meat and roughly 170,000 eggs were shipped from Canada to Hong Kong from January to October this year, according to the CFS.
The outbreaks were announced Tuesday by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, which confirmed more than 6,000 birds died over the weekend at an Abbotsford turkey farm and a Chilliwack broiler breeder farm.
The remaining birds are being culled and composted.
Surrounding farms have been locked down, and the B.C. Poultry Association said if the virus is successfully contained the outbreak won’t affect the supply of Christmas turkeys.
“We supply about 3.3 million [kilograms of] turkeys every Christmas. We’re talking about 11,000 birds being quarantined here,” the association’s Ray Nickel said.
The CFIA said there’s little risk to the public as the virus rarely affects people who don’t have direct contact with infected birds.
Avian influenzas also don’t pose food safety risks when poultry products are properly handled and cooked, the agency said.
The strain of flu is still undetermined, but officials expect to have it confirmed on Thursday.
With a report from CTV Vancouver’s Nafeesa Karim
